HetaOni: Italy's Story
by SilvermistAnimeLover
Summary: NOTE: Only read if you've seen HetaOni! Entirely from Italy's POV. "I thought that we had an honest chance of escape when fratello and Spain showed up for the first time. Heh. That was... so long ago... Now I am broken. But... I must escape with everyone... We must live." Full Summary inside! Rated T for bad language.
1. Prologue

Hello! I'm sorry for starting another story! ^_^ Please don't kill me! I've been absolutely _obsessed_ with HetaOni since I first saw it. I started writing my own fanfiction because I wanted one that was entirely from Italy's POV, and made him sound badass! ^_^ My usual writing style is 3rd person, past tense, but for whatever reason, (I _did_ mean to do 1st person) I started writing it in present tense. So if you catch any mistakes, please let me know. This is just the prologue, obviously, but keep in mind that this is long after the loop from the game. _**WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS FANFICTION IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN HETAONI!**_ _**THERE ARE SPOILERS!**_ Now that that's outta the way… This is dark, I just started writing it, but I didn't expect to publish it this soon. Originally, I was only going to publish it _after_ I finished writing it, but I have a friend who wants to read it, and this story needs the italics and whatnot to make sense. So, here's the prologue. Do not expect me to upload chapter one anytime soon. If I get enough reviews, then I might (Currently working on Chapter 5 and have over 36,268 words and _still _not done) upload it. However, if you, as an individual want to read more (because I'm like that too) then PM me or review me, and I'll e-mail you chapter 1. Also: Tell me if this doesn't make sense to you; I haven't fine-tuned it yet. I'll re-upload it when I fine-tune it properly. For now, after this super long author's note, here's the story~! ^_^

DISCLAIMER: (woops, left the caps lock on ^_^;) I do not own Hetalia or HetaOni. All rights go to their respective owners.

Any flames will be used to burn Steve~!

Summary: This story is entirely from Italy Veneziano's POV. I've made him go through a _ridiculous_ amount of loops, but now he's strong. The loop where Spain and Romano came to the mansion? Already happened. Unlike most HetaOni fanfictions, this one takes place many loops _after_ the loop from the game. And because I found it boring to read 12+ fanfictions all following Japan around the Mansion, this shows how everything unfolds from Italy's perspective. Please Read & Review~! ^_~ Enjoy~!

Prologue

Italy's POV:

I stand; surrounded by rain, blood, and an unbearable agony. Sure, I'm injured, but… that's not where I hurt… My mind is in emotional turmoil; again. My blue uniform is forever stained crimson along with the rest of me. Hot tears stream down my face as I sob and fall to my knees, not caring that I'm currently kneeling in a puddle of warm blood. I look down at the ground.

_No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!_ My mind screams over and over again. Or is it out loud? I don't know. And what's worse, I don't care, either. All around me, my friends, my _family_, are dead. Japan to my right, Prussia to my left; Germany and France behind me; America, England, Canada, and even Kumajiro are somewhere behind Japan's… body… China is mere _inches_ away from where Japan fell. He wanted to be with his little brother till the end… Russia isn't far from China. Even still, after all this time, I haven't been able to understand Russia's protectiveness for the 4,000-year-old country. A little ways in front of me lays Spain; unmoving in a pool of his own blood, as he stares with unseeing eyes at a nothingness that only he can see. Right in front of me lays my dear, beloved, fratello. Dead. And just as he felt the agony of my death, I now feel the agony of his. It feels like half of me is being torn apart—slowly—and then being shattered into a billion pieces while being burned and frozen all at the same time. And that isn't even the _emotional_ pain—that's just the _physical_ pain of losing my twin brother.

_How long have I been here?_ I already know the answer, for the most part, anyways. I just don't care to answer it right now. During one loop, Japan, China, and I calculated that about 10 loops is equal to about 1 year. _10 loops…_ _Heh. If only._ I think bitterly to myself. _I was so young back then… so innocent… so… sane…_

My sobs suddenly stop. I stand up. I know what I need to do, and tears won't help them—not now. _We were so damn close too! We had the key! Everyone was __**alive**__! Damn those fucking Things! I swear, on everything that I have left; I __**will**__ get everyone—including myself—out of this __hell__, alive. _I've sworn this oath for many loops. Yet, no matter how many times I see my friends fall, no matter how many times I lock my emotions away behind a mask, no matter how many times I make a mistake, it still hurts. Even _knowing_ that I can bring them back, it still hurts to watch them die.

I don't just wear one mask anymore. I wear many. There's my "Italy" mask, where I act as I once did: the pasta loving fool. _Heh. How times have changed._ Then, underneath that is the "mature Italy" as Japan calls it. This mask allows me to act serious, without raising too much suspicion. Then there's my "True Mask". This mask is carefully composed to show no emotion other than what I truly feel. It is this mask that keeps my emotions at bay. This "mask" has slowly become the "true Italy." The most common emotions that I show with my true mask, is hatred, anger, and sometimes, pain will also flow through the cracks of my mask.

As I walk back into the hellhole called the Mansion, I subconsciously bring my left hand up to trace the hidden scar over my left eye. It goes from just above my eyebrow, over the center of my eye, and then down to my chin. I hide it using magic.

England's not the only one who can use it—I can too. I learned how a long time ago… It's funny, really. I'm actually more powerful than England when it comes to using magic. I use my magic to constantly hide my visible scars. While going back in time may erase the physical scars in the house and on my friends, it doesn't affect the physical scars—or mental, for that matter—on _me_. As such, I must hide them using my magic. I know that perhaps showing these hideous scars to my friends might convince them that the mansion is Hell on Earth and that I really _do_ go back in time to save them, but I've _tried_ that before; it doesn't work. Sure, most of them, and sometimes _all_ of them, believe me. But one or two of them—usually America—will end up coming to the Mansion anyways.

I let out a sigh. I've truly tried everything. I've told them the truth at every step I can think of; I've played the bad-guy and locked them up in the basement cell. I've done everything. Absolutely _everything_ that I can think of. And _nothing_ works. Now, I just do everything that I can, and hope; pray, that somehow, something will happen and luck will finally be on our side.

I approach the Grandfather Clock. The symbol of all that I hate and fear, yet the symbol of hope and life. It's ironic, really. That the thing that I hate seeing the most, is the same thing that I'd give my life to protect. Because if this clock goes, then I can no longer turn back time. Luckily for me, this clock is protected by a powerful magical barrier. Only the Ryuuzu can touch this clock.

My right hand, currently holding my bloodstained journal, tightens its grip. On either side of the clock, are the slightly transparent bodies of a dead England and a dead America. Once again, only the Ryuuzu can see these… time-shards, as I call them. (I used to call them memory-shards until I realized that regardless of how many memories the others received, I was still the only one that could see them.) They are, quite literally, shards from previous time-loops. Every dead body, every severed limb, every drop of blood, both inside of this accursed Mansion and outside, on its grounds; I can see it all; _all of it_. The forever bloodstained walls; the floors; the bodies; the gruesome scenes that would make even _Russia_ lose his lunch; I see it all; every single _damn_ day. The only room in this entire mansion where I am freed of this eternal burden is the Safe Room that Germany built. England and I had cast a particularly strong spell on it (using up all our magic in the process). Sure, we died, but I had cast a spell on the clock first so that it would turn back time in thirty minutes. Canada and France had already died, so I was going to turn back time anyhow. It's one of my self-proclaimed "rules"; if even one person dies, then time _must_ be reversed.

"Ve… So I'm back again…" I say to the Grandfather Clock. _**Just get it over with, already, Ying.**_ I hear in my mind. Yup. I am officially insane. I now have, not just a voice, but a _personification_ of my hatred and anger, in my mind. He's like another me, only violent, angry, bloodthirsty, power-hungry, and he doesn't care _who_ or _what_ he kills. Even if the target is one of my friends.

I can materialize him, in a ghost-like state. When I do this, he can't touch anything, but anyone can see him, or hear him. But he cannot materialize himself. For this, I'm grateful. There was only one occasion where he took control of my body… _no. I won't think about that._ I shiver. _That was the #1 __worst__ loop._ _Ever_. The point that I'm trying to make is that I beat Yang, as I call him, into submission, by battling. (I couldn't simply call him "you" or "him" so I gave him the name "Yang".) We are yin and yang. I am the Yin, the cooling darkness, the feminine, the calm, the quiet, the sadness; and he is the light within me. Likewise, he is the Yang, the heated light, the masculine, the rash, the hotheaded, the active, the joyfulness; and I am the darkness within him when he's in control of this body. I've vowed to _never_ let him have control again.

I sigh once more._ It is time to bring them back._ _Time_. I give a dry laugh. _What is time anyways?_ I reach up and turn the hands of the clock counter-clockwise to the twelve o'clock position. The chime sounds—this is the only time it does. I start to feel heavy. And I fall backwards, closing my eyes, and letting time take me back once more. The last thing that enters my mind is the sound of the Thing's victory roar, as it celebrates the start of yet another round in this twisted game.


	2. Chapter 1: The Rumors

Hello~ I was waiting for a third reviewer to upload chapter 1! ^_^ I'm not done with chapter 5 yet… (It's already 13,183 words long! JUST CHAPTER FIVE! O_O) My entire fanfiction, (including prologue and chapter 1 and what I have so far of chapter 5) is currently at a 37,306-word-count. O_o *eye twitch*

Anyhow~! Just a little bit of forewarning, I do type the accents of different countries (For Example: Germany would say "Vhat?" instead of "What?" And Japan would say "Herro" or "Konichiwa" Instead of "Hello"). I also have a guide below for different speech stuff that I forgot last time, sorry~! ^^; Incase you're curious, this chapter (not including author notes) is 7,031 words long.

Another thing: In addition to using accents, I'll also be occasionally tossing in words, phrases, or sometimes even whole paragraphs of something in different languages. Don't worry; I'll translate them right after they're said (See guide thingy for details [I sound like a cereal box… -_-…]). I will not, however translate obvious things such as 'nani', 'ohayo', 'ciao', 'danke', etc… If there's something you need the translation for, use Google Translate (that's what I did). If you speak that language, and notice a mistake, please PM me, and I'll fix it~! ^_^

Oops! Almost forgot (dang ADD!): many ideas and some direct events come from/were inspired by MelTheAngryVegan's HetaOni fanfiction: "Through the Hourglass" I highly recommend that you read it! It's _fantastic_! It's also what inspired me to write this fanfiction~!

_**~~Guide Thingy~~: **_

Normal narration/what's going on from Italy's POV

"Talking"

_**Yang's mental dialogue**_

_Italy's mental dialogue with Yang/Romano/Silver ALSO Italy thinking to himself/Yang_

{Translations for things said in a different language language translated from} (Example: "Nani?!" {What?! Japanese} These are considered side notes for those of you who do not speak different languages. Will not be used constantly; will not be used for obvious translations.)

Please Read and Review~! ^_^ Your reviews make me want to post more! ^^

_**Disclaimer: HetaOni, Ao Oni, and Hetalia all belong to their respectful owners; who, unfortunately, aren't me. Select events and ideas in here belong to MelTheAngryVegan (who gave me permission to use them if I credited her; which I now have. ^_~)**_

_**Chapter 1: The Rumors**_

The first thing that I'm aware of is the sound of footsteps whizzing past me. I blink a few times until everything comes into unbelievably sharp focus._ Just like always…_ I'm standing in the hallway of the World Meeting Place. I've just told America about the Mansion. I listen to his footsteps as they get further and further away. Judging by the sound of his steps, he's excited and determined. I heave a sigh once I hear him open and close the door. The resounding _slam_ causes me to wince and rub my ears.

There have been many loops in which I have gone blind, deaf, and even mute. Because of this, my hearing has become at least 3 times stronger than any of the other countries. My vision, which took about 50 loops to fully return in my left eye after I received my scar, is now sharply focused. My eyes are now instinctively drawn to movement, though that's most likely just a side effect of being in the Mansion for so long. My hearing is so honed that I can not only recognize who's who from their footsteps, but what they're thinking, where they're going, what they're carrying, if something's bothering them, what sort of mood they're in, and even what sort of physical condition they're in, all from their footsteps. It's become a very useful tool of mine.

The meeting won't start for a few more minutes. I glance at my watch_. Time moves so differently outside of the Mansion…_ My mind and body have both adjusted to the Mansion's time, so I always have to keep an eye on the clock when I'm not on the Mansion's grounds.

I head in the direction of the restroom. It's unoccupied, as expected, and I take this chance to study myself in the mirror. I don't even blink at the bloodstained reflection staring back at me. It's normal, after a loop. It's just another time-fragment… a side effect of sorts. I blink a few times, and the blood is gone. _Well, not really. I'm not sure I'll __ever__ be able to wash this blood off of my hands…_ I think bitterly to myself.

I undo the magic on my left eye, to give myself a short look over. The scar itself is pretty obvious. It's clear that it was a major wound. Even the eyelid is scarred. In fact, somehow, the pupil itself was _stretched_. It now resembles a reptilian slit. The pupil is tinted red, most likely from the blood—after all, it did cut the actual eye—but the tinting doesn't affect my vision in any way. The rest of my eye is normal—golden in coloration, with icy blue specks.

For a moment, I let my masks fall, and look at the _real_ me. I see a broken Italy. No, not broken… a _shattered_ Italy. Shattered beyond repair. Deep in the depths of my eyes, I can see the fear, the pain, the _agony_ of losing those I care for, over and over again. I can see the raw, burning hatred for the _wretched_ _Things_ that caused all of this. I can see the dying hope of escaping with everyone, forced to stay alive. I can see a broken, desperate, dying soul that is in constant agony and turmoil. Then I blink; and it's gone—hidden behind a mask of stone; emotionless.

I lock away my emotions once again. I lock away the fear of making another mistake; the pain of watching those that I care for die; the hatred for the _Thing_ and its kind. And along with those, I also must lock away my joy, to protect what little of it I have left; the love for those that I call my family, for fear of being hurt once more; the relief that will sometimes appear after avoiding a death, because if I allow myself to let my guard down at the wrong time, then I _will_ lose someone. _And that, I cannot let happen again._ _I don't know how much more of this I can take…_

I put my other masks back on, with my fake smile plastered on top. I took America's advice from the earlier loops. Sometimes, he'd tell me that I needed to learn now to smile more naturally, so I did.

Lastly, I place my left hand over my left eye, and silently chant the familiar spell. When I remove my hand, the scar is gone, and my pupil looks normal. "Ve~" I say to myself in the mirror as cheerfully as I can. _Perfect._

Before I can turn back to the door, a sudden _burning_ pain erupts in my chest and throat. _Crap._ I run to the nearest toilet stall, and shut the door behind me. I lean over the toilet and start coughing up blood. _The metallic taste always makes me sick. Not again… Damnit! It's getting worse..._

All magic has a price. The more powerful the magic, the larger the price. I scoff. As if my _sanity_ wasn't a large enough price—and time travel is very powerful magic. When I'm sure that I'm done, I wipe my mouth with some toilet paper. It wouldn't do to have blood on my uniform. That would only tip everyone off.

Ideally, I'd like to have everyone escape on a loop where I don't have to tell them _anything_. 9/10 loops I end up in a situation where I have to explain about the loops and the time travel. But if I can get them out of that Mansion without them ever knowing what _really_ goes on in there—without ever having them know what I've had to go through for them, then they'll never have to live with this burden. They'll never know what it feels like to lose someone you care about. They'll never feel the pain that I know so well.

I stand up, stretching my aching back. _Now I know how Japan and China feel when they complain about having bad backs._ Of course it isn't because I'm old, which I am but that's not the point—it's part of the price. Well, sort of. It has to do with a different _kind_ of magic.

My aura is white; I use white magic, which is ideal for healing and protecting. It's ironic, really, because I am the 'Ying', the darkness, not the light. I still don't quite understand how I can have almost every attribute of 'Ying', and yet have a _white_ aura. I can use a few attack spells, but they take up a lot of energy. White auras and black auras are the rarest of all types of magical auras. While it's uncommon to find someone who has a black or white aura that's mixed with some sort of elemental attributed aura, it's not unheard of. In fact, most magical auras are mixed between two different types. England's aura is earth and black. Earth magic is strong, good for defense, and sturdy. Black magic is made for killing, cursing, and torturing. It is an ideal attack element. White magic and black magic both have the largest capacity. Someone like England, who has an earth/black elemental aura, has a much bigger aura size than someone who has an aura without black or white magic. As such, he can perform a larger number of spells, and many more complicated spells, than someone who has, say, an earth and fire type aura. It is exceeding rare, however, to find someone with only a single element to their magic. I have only light. My aura is purely white. I am strong, and powerful, but I'm honestly amazed that my aura hasn't been stained crimson like the rest of me. Here's the confusing thing, though. Yang, the "2P!Italy" inside my head, has an entirely _black_ aura, the exact opposite of my own.

There was a point in time, a loop that I would rather not think about, where I was faced with a situation in which I needed to use a very powerful, very _dangerous_, spell. I didn't have enough magic, though, and ended up fusing my own aura with Yang's. This fusing of auras was permanent. I had already known that. I also knew that it would hurt like hell and kill me, so I placed a simple spell on the Grandfather clock to turn back time at midnight. But I _wasn't_ prepared for it to hurt _worse_ than hell. There's a reason why people don't mix black and white magic. When forced together, the pain is _unimaginable_. The pain _still_ hasn't gone away. In fact, it's barely subsided at all. It's constantly there. _Always_. The more loops I go through, the more my health is affected. I frequently run high fevers, some of them even as high as 118˚; even a country wouldn't survive that for long. I've died a few times from fevers—and let me just say, that it sucks—and I've gone blind, deaf, or sometimes both, from them as well. I'm in constant physical pain, and yet… I grin and bear it. Not because I want to, nor am I obligated to.

I could just as easily die and let my friends die and we could all be together in Heaven with Holy Rome. However… I have to think about the promises that I'd be breaking, and about those who I'd be leaving behind. Austria and Hungary, who are like parents to me; Spain, who is like a big brother to me; fratello, who is, well, my fratello; little Sicily, my dear, innocent, little sister; and perhaps most of all, my country. Italy. Where would it be without me? If fratello were to follow me in death, where would it be without its personification? What about the other countries that would suddenly be left without a personification? America? Canada? China? France? England? Russia? Japan? Germany? Spain? What would happen to them? What would happen to our _people_? A country's personification has never _died_ before their country was dissolved, but when we're injured, nothing happens to our country or our people. It's what happens to the _people_ and the _country_ itself that affects _us_, not the other way around.

So, then what would happen? Where would the pain of economy go? The suffering of the people, where would it go? Would a new personification appear for all the countries? Would we be reborn? Would we simply no longer exist? The chances of something happening are far too great. There are simply too many unknowns. That is one of the reasons why I _must_ live. I was so selfish in the beginning that I didn't even think of my people, my country. I just wanted everyone to live, regardless of whether or not I died. I can see now that I was just being selfish; I simply wanted to be done with this _hell_ and this _suffering_.

I heave yet another sigh. I take a glance at my watch. I should have just enough time to get to the meeting and sit down. I check myself in the mirror to make sure that there's no visible blood on my person. Once that's done, I head to the meeting room. I take a deep breath before I head through the double doors and into the loud, noisy chaos. I visibly wince as the yells, screams, and other loud noises assault my sensitive ears. I quickly wipe the wince from my face and put on a fake smile while doing my best to look as carefree and oblivious as possible. It took me more than 20 loops to learn how to keep my emotions under control at seeing my previously dead friends alive once more.

I quickly spot Germany sitting in his seat. _Ve~ Germany looks ready to blow a gasket. _I think to myself. _**He always looks like that, Ying. A sure sign of weakness is a short fuse. You should know that. Almost everyone here has such a short temper; Heh, maybe that's why they keep dying, because they're weak! Just like you.**_Yang says, startling me. Luckily, I've trained my body not to react to my inner conversations, so my smile doesn't falter. The only outward sign of me being startled is the slight twitch of my hand.

_Yang. I'm not weak. I was weak once, but not anymore. I'm as strong as America, better at magic than England, faster than Japan, and if I use my magic, I can heal almost anything! My friends are only weak right now, because they don't __remember__ how to use the skills that their bodies have already learned! _I think back at him angrily. I really despise Yang when he belittles my friends.

_**Psh! Whatever. The only reason I put up with these morons is because you somehow beat me in battle. But remember; the moment that you let your guard down, the moment that you lose to me, they're dead.**_ Yang warns me.

_I don't plan on letting that happen…_ I say, ending the discussion. I survey the room.

France and England are fighting about something, while America eggs them on. Russia is watching China from across the table, and Canada is sitting to the right of America's seat, which is currently occupied by numerous McDonald's wrappers. Prussia, who followed Germany to the meeting out of boredom, is currently in the cafeteria area because he isn't allowed inside the meeting room (because he's no longer a country). There's an empty seat to Germany's left, and to the left of the empty seat—which is mine—is Japan, who's calmly sitting with his own emotionless mask on. I run over to Germany and give him a hug. "Ve~ Germany looks mad. He needs a hug!"

"Italy! Vhere have you been?! It's almost time for ze meeting to start!" He says, trying to push me off of him. I obediently let him go in favor of going over to Japan to avoid his question. I hear him give a big sigh, as I take the three steps necessary to reach Japan and give him a hug, too. "Ve~ Japan!" I say, latching onto my, now startled, friend.

I always make my hugs _mean_ something now, even if the person being hugged doesn't realize it. After all, for me it wasn't even two hours ago that Japan was lying in the cold rain, dead. I force back a shiver at the thought, and hug Japan tighter. I want to be able to hug everyone while I still can!

"Itary-kun! Prease! Get off! You're invading my personar space!" Japan exclaims, flustered. I, once again, release him, but I also give him my puppy dog eyes. I know he can't resist them. China, who is sitting on the other side of Japan, mutters "So cute~ aru!" under his breath. Japan doesn't hear him, but I do.

"You…" I add some fake tears to the puppy dog eyes, making China mutter more things about me being cute. "…don't like my hugs?" I give Japan a long, teary-eyed stare, and I add in a sniffle just for the heck of it. I can practically _see_ his resolve crumbling. After about three seconds, Japan sighs in defeat.

"You just surprised me, Itary-kun. Gomenasai. I did not mean to hurt your feerings."

"Ve~ Grazie~!" I say with a bright smile. I refrain from hugging him this time. "I'll try not to hug you too much, okay Japan?" Japan blinks in surprise and his body visibly relaxes as I sit down. _Ve~ Don't worry, Japan. I won't hug you… Not yet, anyhow_.

"Arigatou, Itary-kun."

"Ve~" I reply before seemingly staring off into space as the meeting begins. Before long, I fall asleep. I've been through this exact meeting so many times that I could say everyone's arguments _for_ them; even Canada's. _Ve~ At least I don't need to worry about losing my memories when I sleep anymore. Now I'm not distracted by lack of sleep… Ve~ So tired…_

_**Ve~Ve~Ve~Ve~Ve~Ve~**____**Ve~Ve~Ve~Ve~Ve~Ve**_

"ITALY! VAKE UP!" Germany's loud, commanding voice jolts me out of a rare—and much needed—dreamless sleep. At first, I'm annoyed with him for waking me up during such a rare opportunity to actually _rest_, but then I remember where I am, and on the mask goes.

"VE?!" I yell out in faux surprise. "G-Germany? You scared me!" I exclaim, fake tears starting to well up in the corners of my eyes.

"Vell zen, don't sleep srough ze meetings anymore!" Germany yells in annoyance, but he turns his head away from me, uncomfortable with my 'tears'.

"Ve! Okay, okay! I promise! Please don't hurt me! Please don't be mad anymore, Germany! Ve!" Germany sighs at my antics.

"I'm not mad at you. I'm just tired, zat's all." He finally says. I stop my Italian rant, and look up at him. I make sure to use my puppy dog eyes.

"You promise? You're not mad at me at all?" I'm honestly not even referring to sleeping during the meeting anymore. I just want to hear him say that he isn't mad at me, and then my mind will somehow convince itself that he's saying that he isn't mad at me for making yet _another_ mistake in the previous time loop. I want him to promise that he isn't mad at me for letting everyone die again…

"Ja. I promise zat I am not mad at you."

"Ve~!" I say happily. "Grazie, Germany!" Before I can say anything else, America starts to talk in an obnoxiously loud voice. "Yo! Dudes! Listen up! I heard this rumor about this TOTALLY awesome haunted house! For reals, yo! It's like, totally awesome! We should all go!" He's waving his arms around and everything. It takes a tremendous amount of effort and self-control not to sigh and roll my eyes.

I mostly tune out his rant on the Mansion and what most of the other people say. I've heard it countless times. Instead, I start to concentrate on feeling my people. _It's so nice, to feel them..._ As a country I can feel the presence of my people, hear their thoughts, see their actions, and basically know everything that's going on in my country. From the three-year-old throwing a temper tantrum, to the depressed teenager kicking a random pebble down the street, to the man buying an engagement ring and everyone in between—I can see them all.

Before all of this started, I, like most of the other countries, found little to no interest in doing this. But, as the saying goes, you never know what you have until it's gone. We take being a country for granted; I no longer see being a nation as a given—I appreciate every second of it.

I focus in on a small town not too far from Venice. There's a small gelato shop there, and it seems really popular. For a moment, I place myself in the mind and shoes of a random citizen.

I'm suddenly a 23-year-old college student who's on break. I'm worrying about a paper that's due when break's over, but I figure that I can put it off until later. It's a beautiful day, and I have no worries. The strawberry gelato hits my tongue and melts in my mouth with a refreshing coolness. I give a content sigh. _This… If only… If only I could stay like this forever…_ Looking up at the clear blue sky, the gentle breeze caressing my face and blowing my hair… _Everything's so perfect… So…_

"Itary-kun?" Japan's voice snaps me out of my fantasy. Part of me is annoyed for being denied the rest of my peaceful moment, but another part of me feels guilty for running away, even for a short while. _What right do I have to run off to a paradise when my friends are in a life-or-death struggle? _

"Ve?" I do my best to look like an air-headed, naïve daydreamer who has no idea what's going on. It works.

"I'm sorry, Japan, what was that?"

"I was asking you what you thought about America-san's 'haunted house'."

"Ve~ I think it sounds fun! We should go!" I say excitedly, jumping up and dragging Japan over to Germany and the rest of the group. _Ve._ _I think it sounds terrible, dangerous, and stupid, let's forget all about it…_ _Ve… If only that would work…_

"Ita! Did you wanna come too? Ze Awesome Prussia's going, so I'll be able to protect you! Don't worry!" Prussia says, walking up to us.

"Ve~ Si!" I say. It's all I can do to keep myself from either rolling my eyes at his promise to protect me, or risking my mask cracking with the weight of the memories that his, so called 'promise' brings forth. _**You should tell your friend not to make promises that he can't keep…**_ Yang says, but I ignore him. I give Prussia a large smile and happily say, "Japan and I are going to the Mansion! So you're coming too?"

"You bet! Zat place would be no fun if ze Awesome Prussia weren't zere! Kesesesesese!"

"Zat's enough bruder. Ve all know how 'awesome' you are. You don't need to shout about it." Germany says as we all walk over to the mass of, now 10, countries that stayed to hear America out.

"I agree, aru." China says coming up from behind us. "Japan, are you going to the haunted mansion, too aru?" China asks.

"Hmmm… I'rr think about it." Japan says shiftily. _Which is 'Kikunese' for 'no'._

"Awww, but Japan! I want you to come too! Ve~ Please?" I beg, hanging off his arm. I may not _want_ anyone there, but it's better to have Japan come _with_ us now, than arrive on his _own_ later out of worry for everyone. _I made that mistake once; Japan didn't even last long enough to find any of us before the Thing found him…_ I mentally shake my head; _this is no time for flashbacks!_ Once again, I use my teary puppy dog eyes on Japan. I ignore China's wails of "tài kě'àile, aru!" {So Cute! Chinese} It takes five long seconds for Japan to sigh in defeat.

"Very werr. I suppose that one rook won't hurt, ne?" He says with a sigh.

"Yay!" I say throwing my hands in the air and doing a twirl. Japan, Prussia, and China smile at my childish behavior.

"Okay, dudes, let's see who's coming!" America's irritatingly loud voice sounds again. Everyone gathers around him. "Whoever's not coming, leave; whoever _is_ coming, follow me, because I'm the hero! HAHAHAHAHA! This test of courage will be _awesome_!"

"Not as awesome as ze Awesome Prussia!" Prussia yells. I roll my eyes discreetly, before throwing my hand into the air and saying "Ve~ I wanna come! It sounds like fun!"

"Vell, if Italy's going, zen I have no choice. After all, someone's got to look after him." Germany says with a sigh. I honestly don't know if I should be touched by his concern, or offended by his lack of trust in me. Then again, the Italy that _he_ knows does warrant that sort of thinking…

"I'rr go as werr." Japan says with a sigh of defeat. He then gives me a small smile as if to say "Are you happy now?"

"Don't forget about ze Awesome Prussia!" Prussia yells.

"I want to go too, aru!" China announces.

"Wherever China goes, I go, да?" Russia says with his creepy purple aura, causing China and everyone else to take a rather large step away from him. Though Russia's aura doesn't really scare me anymore…

"Well, you wouldn't last five minutes in an _actual_ haunted mansion. I have no choice but to go with you, you git." England says to America. He may not want to admit it, but he still cares for his former colony.

"Ahonhonhon~ Angleterre, why can you not just say zat you are worried for Amérique? Ahonhonhon~ I'm coming too~! I can sense l'amour in ze air~! Ahonhonhon~"

"Man! Now I need to look up 'l'amour'!" America complains. Sometimes, I wonder about him… _Does he really need to look up the word 'l'amour'? It's France, what the hell does he think it means?_ Sometimes, I really think that I'm becoming too much like fratello, as far as my cursing goes. I need to stop my bad language tendencies before it becomes too much of a habit. It could tip them off too easily…

"YOU BLOODY FROG! You _know_ that I don't think of America that way! I _swear_ one of these days, your bloody mouth will get us _all_ killed." England yells, snapping me out of my thoughts. I shut my mouth before I yell out something that would most definitely raise suspicions. _Damn it! I wish he wouldn't say those kinds of things. If only he knew…_

"I'd like to come too, eh?" Canada says, but I'm the only one that hears him. I'm probably the only one that can see him right now, too. Japan and Germany are with Russia, China, and Prussia, so I decide to use this chance to talk to Canada.

"Who are you?" His bear, Kumajiro, asks as I walk over to Canada.

"I'm Canada." He states with a tired smile on his face.

"Ciao, Canada~!" I say with a grin, causing said nation to jump.

"Y-y-you can s-see me?! _Really?!_" He asks, excitement and disbelief lacing his voice.

"Ve? Of course I can~! Ve~ Why wouldn't I, Viva? You _are _the second biggest country in the world, after all!"

"Well, nobody _ever_ sees me, so I just assumed…" He trails off.

"Well, I'm not nobody! I'm Italy!" _Right? Am I truly Italy anymore? Or am I just a shell of my former self?_

"I know who you are…" _Heh, I doubt it._ I mentally comment, "It's just…" Canada sighs. "Maybe it's because my brother, America, is so loud and, well, _noticeable_, but I just sort of fade into the background."

"Ve? Is fading into the background _really_ such a bad skill to have? I think that it would be fun to be able to become invisible at will!" I say, twirling around a bit. "Then I wouldn't have to run away all the time! I could just, oh, I don't know, _pretend to be a piano_, and then whoever, or _what_ever's chasing me, would suddenly not see me anymore! I wouldn't have to run _or_ fight!" I learned this trick awhile ago. If I hint certain things to specific countries, then our conversation will flash through their minds when they need it the most. In Canada's case, this conversation should keep him from falling over showily or being a moron and trying to _talk_ to the Thing when it finds him in the Piano Room. _**Don't forget about when he poured maple syrup, the smell made the Thing attack him… The moron….**_ Yang comments. _Ve~ I doubt that he'll do __that__ again, after all, one's subconscious does tend to remember these things…_

"Well… when you put it that way, I guess it doesn't seem quite that bad… But the thing is, I _can't_ control it." Canada complains.

"Ve~ I can see you. Maybe if you try to be of help to others, others will start to notice you, too! Or you could be annoying and loud-mouthed like your twin over there…" I say pointing to America. Canada grimaces.

"No, thanks. I don't think I'll _ever_ be able to be loud and annoying like my brother…" After a moment of looking at one another, we burst out into laughter. And it might be just my imagination, but I think, perhaps, some _real_ laughter snuck its way into my façade. When Canada and I are done having our "bonding moment", America, once again, commands everyone's attention. It's then that I notice Japan and Germany beckoning me over to them.

"Italien!" Germany says, coming over to me and Canada. "Vhat are you doing over here alone?" He asks confused.

"Ve? What do you mean? I'm not alone, I'm here with Canada!" I say, gesturing to my 'newfound' friend. Germany stares at Canada for a moment as if trying to decode some sort of cryptic message. Then, suddenly, recognition dawns on him.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I didn't see you zere. You are… Ca… Canada, Ja?"

"Yes. I'm so glad that you remembered my name." Canada says with a smile.

"Who are you?" Kumajiro asks.

"I'm _Canada_, your _owner_." He replies with a sigh.

"Italien, ve should get going now. After all, Japan is vaiting for us." Germany says.

"Ve? Okay!" I reply before turning back to Canada. "See you at the Mansion, Canada!" I say with a wave.

"Okay, see you there, Italy!" He smiles back with a wave. As I run back to Germany and Japan, I hear the oh-so-wonderful question of "Who are you?" And an "I'm _Canada_." from behind me. It is only then that I realize my slip-up. _Crap, I hope Canada and Germany didn't notice…_ _After all, the groups for who goes with whom to the Mansion haven't been announced yet. At this point, America thinks that everyone's going to go together. But as long as Germany and Canada don't realize my slip-up, then I should be just fine…_

"Italy," Germany starts once we reach the area where Japan is standing. I stiffen slightly, praying that he hasn't noticed my slip up.

"Si? What is it, Germany?"

"I vas just vondering vhat you vere zinking vhen you agreed to go to zis 'haunted mansion' of America's. You hate scary zings."

"Ve?" _Thank goodness. He didn't notice... _"Well, I was thinking that, because things have been so peaceful lately, it's been almost… boring." Japan and Germany are listening to me intently. "I thought that it sounded like something we could all do together! Ve~ I don't really see anyone anymore unless it's at these world meetings. Things were getting a little dull." _Oh! The irony!_ These words that I speak are true. These were my thoughts when I first heard the rumors of the mansion. _Fate is so cruel. So, so cruel._ _If I had only wished for something, __anything__ else, then I wouldn't be in this hell._ Before Germany or Japan have the chance to say anything, America draws everyone's attention, once again.

"Alright, that's everyone!" America announces, cutting the _still_ ongoing argument between France and England short. "Now, let's go!"

"Wait!" England yells. "It won't be much of a test of courage if we all go together, you git!" America gets this, "oooooh" look on his face as understanding finally dawns on him. Then, America thinks—hard. For once in his life, he's absolutely _silent_. I'm pretty sure that England's eyebrows went up just now, too.

"I'm not sure I've _ever_ heard Mĕiguó be this quiet for this long, aru." I hear China whisper quietly to Japan. Japan mutely nods. After almost a whole minute of silence, France approaches America.

"Amérique? Are you okay, mon ami?" France asks timidly, as if afraid that making any noise will cause an explosion, which, in a way, it does.

"I got it!" America shouts out, punching the air—and France—in his moment of inspiration.

" 'ey! You _punched_ me! My beautiful face! Amérique! Apologize!" France steams. America, on the other hand, ignores him completely.

"Why don't we split up into two groups?" America proclaims.

_Heh, splitting up is the number one rule of what __not__ to do at a haunted mansion. Especially when it's __actually__ haunted._ I think back to our past loops, and can't help but laugh at our utter stupidity. _We must've split up more than 8 times in two days!_ _What morons we were! What idiots we are!_ _And the worst part is that I __let__ them split up. And I'll probably __still__ let the groups split up. _

"Ve~ I know!" I yell out, surprising everybody. "Why don't we all split up into our WWII Groups? We all have our weapons from then, and we're wearing our old WWII uniforms too! It's perfect, Viva!" Oops. There goes my new verbal tic. Sometimes it just slips out at the end of some of my sentences. I've said it so often, telling everyone to survive, to _live_, that it's actually become a verbal tic now. Everyone stares at me. Luckily, I've done this enough to know how to get out of this situation. "Ve? Did I say something wrong? Why are you all looking at me like that, Viva?"

"Italy, what is 'Viva', aru?" China asks.

"Ve? "Viva" means "to live" live your life!" I say happily, trying to give the impression that I mean 'live' in a non-literal way.

"Zat describes you perfectly!" Prussia states, "I was getting a little tired of your old "Ve" from your name."

"Aiya?! You mean Italy's verbal tic has a _meaning_, aru?!" China suddenly shouts out.

"Ve? Of course it does, Viva!" I say.

"It comes from your name, Veneziano, right?" Prussia asks me.

"Si!" I answer simply.

"Who would've guessed, aru?" China mumbles to Japan. "Rìběn, did you know, aru?"

"No," Japan shakes his head. "I had no idea that Itary-kun's verbar tics had meaning."

"Dude, I totally agree with Italy's idea of going in our WWII groups!" America says, getting back on topic, which he only ever does when it's something that _he_ likes. "Okay! So, my group, the Allies, will go first, because I'M THE HERO!" America yells out at the top of his lungs. _Ve~ I wonder if the guards on the other side of the building can hear him…_ I idly wonder.

_Honestly, why do I even go through all of this? Is my life truly worth living through this pain and suffering and __insanity__? What was so worth living?_ But as I look around, and watch England lecturing a smiling America, and a grinning France butting in and starting yet _another_ fight with England, and China and Japan talking like good brothers should, while Russia smiles like the creepy stalker that he usually is, I see that my reasons for wanting to live are not my own, but _theirs_. I live for my friends, my _family_. I do all of this so that _they_ can live _their_ lives. _And maybe, I want the same thing too…_ _I can't remember what it feels like to look forward to a "tomorrow" anymore._ It's not that I don't _remember_ specific things from my life before the Mansion. That blew over a _long_ time ago.

It wasn't until around loop… 210 that I lost all my memories. My friends, my _family_, became strangers. The only thing that I knew was that I had to protect them, and pretend to know them. Then, around loop 212, my memories suddenly returned. It was quick, sudden, and _painful_, but they returned; all of them; from my promise to Holy Rome to every single loop in the Mansion. In crystal clarity, I now remember everything. Every drop of blood, like a HD TV.

Before long, America and his group start to leave. "Attenzione! Be careful! Arrivederci!" I call after them while waving like a moron.

"Ahonhonhon~ Do not worry, my little Italie, we'll be just fine. See you soon~!" France waves back with a smile.

Soon, they're out of sight. I sigh. "They're gone…" I say sadly.

"Do not worry, Itary-kun, as soon as Chuugoku sends me his text, we'rr go and forrow them, arright?" Japan tries to 'console' me.

"Ve? Grazie, Japan!" I say, pulling him into another hug. He, once again, politely demands that I let him go, and I respect his wishes and release him with a sigh. Japan and his personal space. I'm not sure that I'll ever truly understand why he needs so much of it.

"Mi dispiace, Japan!" I apologize. "Ve~ I'm going to look at the computers. I need to charge my iPod, Viva!" I say with a smile, holding up my iPod nano. Japan smiles and nods his head. I dash over to the computers at 'Italian Speed', and quickly plug my iPod in. The World Meeting Place has a computer lab just a few doors down from the actual meeting room. Germany and Japan let me go to the computer lab by myself, thank goodness.

I know that I have three _whole_ hours before we have to leave, but I don't want Germany, Prussia, or Japan to know what kinds of songs I have on my iPod. _They're a little… personal…_

_**Psh! More like depressing, if you ask me!**_

_Well, I _didn't_ ask you, Yang!_ I yell at him mentally. _Gosh! Can't I ever catch a break?! It's bad enough that I have a constant stream of bloodstained memories playing through my mind, but to have an annoying chiaccherone {chatterbox Italian} inside my head, well, that just takes the cake! _

_**Hey! Who're you calling a "chiaccherone"?! I'm not **__**that**__** talkative!**_

_Ve?! Have you __heard__ yourself?! You're practically the __definition__ of a chiaccherone! You're like Nudge from James Patterson's __Maximum Ride__! No, you're __worse__ than Nudge! You're like Nudge # 5!_

_**5? What happened to 2, 3, and 4? **_

_I killed them because they were too annoying; would you like to meet the same fate?_ I feel a Russia-like smile spread across my face.

_**Psh! Yea, right! Like **__**you**__** could do **__**me**__** in! I'd like to see you try!**_

_Oh, I can do more than __try__, but now isn't the time for this, Ve?_

_**There you go again with those goddamned ve's, again. They're so damned fucking annoying! Why do you **__**say**__** them anyhow?! **_

_Ve? It's just a verbal tic! It isn't my fault, honest! Viva, might be, but Ve isn't. _

_**Well, whatever. Just as long as**__** I**__** don't have to "ve" everything, or "viva" everything either. It's painful enough **__**listening**__** to your ve'ing and whatnot, but China's Aru's are damn near **__**impossible**__** to tolerate. I swear that when I get my hands on him…**_

_You __**won't**__ get your hands on him, because __your__ hands are __my__ hands, and __my__ hands will __**never**__ hurt my friends!_

_**They already have… Or have you forgotten? **_**That**_** loop? **_I stop what I'm physically doing. My pain and anger show visibly on my face, as does my regret and guilt.

_Ve… I can never wipe _that_ loop from my mind; you, of all people, should know that. If there's one thing that I can __never__ forget, it's _that_ loop…_

I cut off our mental conversation there. Instead, I bring up iTunes on the Apple computer. I honestly just need to make sure that my iPod's charged, but I like to see how many plays I have on my songs as well. It's another unsolvable mystery, but for whatever reason, the number of plays I have on a song on my iPod isn't affected by my going back in time. How that's possible, I'll never know.

I have quite a few songs on my iPod, but they mostly follow a pattern. I made my friends all record songs long before any of this Mansion stuff began. I still like to listen to them sing, so Marukaite Chikyuu is a definite favorite, as is Hatafutte Parade. There's also a special version of Marukaite Chikyuu that I made myself during these precious three hours that I have before each loop. As I said, I don't know _how_, but the computers, like my iPod, are also unaffected by time travel, so I didn't lose my data. The song is a mixture of a few different Marukaite Chikyuu versions. There's a lot of extra stuff that I did to it, so it sounds kinda creepy now. But that's what I was going for. The rest of the songs are similar to Bad Apple, Magenta (nano version), 24 Hours, I Will Not Bow, iNSaNiTY, etc… In short, they deal with themes like death, depression, violence, and insanity.

I start listening to my songs with my headphones. After awhile, I check the time on the computer's clock. I have a few minutes before Germany comes to check-up on me. I take out my earbuds, and unplug my iPod. It wouldn't do to have Germany or Japan or Prussia know what kind of songs I listen to. After all, the Italy that they know wouldn't even consider listening to songs like Bad Apple or iNSaNiTY. Yet here I am, both songs memorized... _Yea… Somehow, I don't think that that would go over well… In fact, I've done it; it doesn't go over well at all._

I start humming the tune to Bad Apple, and after a little while, I find myself quietly singing the English lyrics.

"Ever on and on, I continue _circling_ with nothing but my _hate_ in a carousel of _agony_, till slowly I forget, and my heart starts _vanishing_, and suddenly I see, that I _can't_… _break_… _free_…" I trail off as I hear Germany's footsteps approaching. He seems to be tired, annoyed, and he wants to go home.

"Ve~ Mi dispiace, Doitsu, but we won't be going home for awhile…" I whisper, knowing full well that he can't hear me.

"Italien, vhat are you doing?" Germany asks as he opens the door.

"Ve?! Germany? You scared me! I didn't hear you coming!" I lie smoothly.

Germany sighs. "Italy, vhat are you doing in here?" He asks again.

"Ve? Didn't Japan tell you? I'm charging my iPod, Viva!"

"Vell, you should come back now. Ve should be getting zat text from China soon."

"Si! I'll be right there!" I say, letting Germany go ahead of me. I let out a sigh. It's already been 2 ½ hours since the Allies left. "Don't worry; we'll get out this time." I say, looking out the window to my left. The clear blue sky is perfect. There's scarcely a cloud, save for the lazy wisps of white cotton that float by now and then. _Such a perfect day. Such a deceivingly perfect day. What a wonderful day to start a nightmare. What a wonderful day to return to hell._ "Don't worry;" I repeat, "we'll get out this time. I won't stop until we're _all_ alive, together, and _free_. I _won't_ give up. This, I promise."

So? What do you think? ^_~ It's supposed to be kind of depressing, by the way. I tried to concentrate on the negative emotions that Italy undoubtedly has after going through so many loops. Please don't forget to Review~! ^_^ They keep me wanting to post more! ^_^

I'd also like to give a special Thank You to spiritwolfe123 (my first reviewer), MelTheAngryVegan (my second reviewer and the one who's HetaOni fanfiction inspired me to write my own), I CALL England HE IS MINE (my third reviewer, who gave great feedback as well), and Perpetual Dreams (A last minute fourth reviewer who made me very happy by reviewing). Thanks you guys~! ^_^


	3. Chapter 2: Last Hours of Peace

_**A/N: **_**Hey peoples~! I'm back! Sorry it took sooo long to update! T_T I've been swamped with homework left and right! ;A; Senior Year of high school is hard! D: But here's the next chapter of my story! Don't worry! Each chapter seems to be getting longer than the last… ^_^; Gomen if you don't like long chapters… **

**Remember: If you want to read ahead, I can e-mail you the chapters in advance! :P Just PM me. ;P**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Hetalia, I'd probably still be writing these just for fun, but, unfortunately, I don't. -_-. Nor do I own Ao Oni, or HetaOni. **

**ALSO: I forgot to put this in the previous chapters! The verbal tic "Viva", the whole 'mature Italy' thing, as well as the whole idea of Italy and the others coming to this town first, was inspired by/created by The Singing Maiden, and her fanfiction~! (Read it, it's really good~!) ^_~**

**READ THIS! Do you guys think that I should re-post this story without the written accents? I wouldn't delete this one, but I know that there some people who don't like them, and that there are some cases where it's rather difficult to understand (I sound like England… XD) Leave your answer in a review!**

**Answering Reviews~!**

**Austria: I'm glad that you appreciate the accents! Sorry for a lack of Italy's accent, but it's a pain to type out, and—in my opinion at least—annoying to read. -_-… And since he's the main voice in this story, I find that it's easier to read when I don't try to type out Italy's accent. And yes, Yang is kinda like Italy's 2P (who I call Luciano). He just sorta took on a life of his own, though. ^_^; I look forward to reading your future reviews (if you feel like it).  
From Italy: "Ve~ Grazie for reviewing, Austria~! Don't worry! You'll show up in this fanfiction eventually, Viva~! =7="**

_**Chapter 2: Last Hours of Peace**_

Italy's POV:

"Ve~" I say, as we enter the small town where I first heard the rumors. "It's so lively, here… Oh! Germany, look! A gelato stand! Let's go and get some, please?" I beg, giving him my puppy dog eyes. Gelato is a rare treat for me now. This is the only chance that I have to get some, and I usually only have this opportunity once every ten loops… so that's about once per year.

_**Keh! No wonder you're so fucking irritable!**_

_Shut up, Yang…_ I retort with annoyance.

"Ja, I suppose zat you could have some, but only_ vone scoop_!" Germany yells after me as I speed away to get my precious gelato. I hear him heave a deep sigh as Prussia also goes off to investigate something.

"Hello, what would you like?" The stand owner asks.

"Ve~ I'll have a single scoop of strawberry gelato, please~!" I state with a grin.

"Alright, is that all?"

"Ve… Actually, could you add a single scoop of chocolate gelato to the order too?" I ask as I hear Japan's quiet, refined footsteps approaching. In past loops, he's confessed to me that he has developed a fondness for the chocolate flavored Italian ice cream.

"So that's one strawberry gelato, and one chocolate gelato." I nod my head. "Okay, that'll be ¥382." The salesman states. _Ve… I can just imagine America saying something like '$3.99 for two cones?! Dude, that's so awesome! Back home, we charge way more!'_ "Ve…" I quickly hand him the money, and he hands me two cones.

"Ve~ Grazie~!" I say, before turning around just as Japan reaches me. I thrust the chocolate gelato in front of his face, and I'm rewarded with a rare, bewildered look from Japan.

"Wha…?"

"Ve~ I got it for you! I know you like the chocolate flavor best, so I thought I'd buy one for you, Viva!"

"Ano… a-arigatou, Itary-kun." Japan says as he accepts the offered gelato. I grin and skip over to a nearby bench; Japan follows after me.

There's no one sitting near us, and Germany can see us just fine from his position. Prussia had gone to look at a sword stand, and Germany had followed him. Apparently, Prussia had purchased a sword, and now Germany is currently yelling at him for it. _Ve~ Again…_

I take a lick of my gelato, and let out a content sigh. _There's nothing like gelato to help ease the worries of death and time travel._ Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Japan happily eating his own gelato. We enjoy the warm sunlight and refreshing gelato together in a rare—for me at least—peaceful quiet. After we've both finished our gelato, I turn to Japan.

"Ve… Japan?" I ask quietly. He turns to me, and listens respectfully. "There's something bothering you, isn't there?" My question obviously catches Japan off-guard. After all, this _is_ the first time in this loop that the "mature Italy" has come out.

"Na-nani? What are you tarking about, Itary-kun?" he asks, trying to hide the shock that momentarily crosses his face at my serious and unusually observant question.

"Ve~ You know what I mean. You've been thinking about something a lot lately; ever since we came to this town." I say, turning to face him fully and giving him a serious face, with a smile, of course. Japan gives a sigh. I already know what he's going to say.

"You're right, Itary-kun. Something _has_ been bothering me." I motion for him to continue. "It's just… ever since America-san started tarking about that haunted mansion I've had this constant feering of déjà vu. And what's more is that I have this rearry strong feering that something bad is going to happen. It's armost rike… my instincts are trying to warn me that something dangerous is near… but I don't see any danger." He gives a long sigh. "Maybe I'm just getting ord…" I put my hand on his shoulder and give him a comforting smile.

"Ve~ You're not _that _old. I don't know about that déjà vu feeling you've been having," _**well, isn't that a big fat lie?**_ "but your instincts are usually right. You should listen to your gut feeling, but don't let it interfere with your judgment. If you feel that something is too overwhelming, or too large to handle on your own, then just tell someone, okay? I'll always be here to listen to you, Viva!" I say, returning to my 'normal Italy' at the end of my 'mature' speech. Japan stares at me in astonishment.

"Itary-kun. I think that's the smartest thing that I've ever heard you say." _I'm honestly not sure if I should take that as a compliment or an insult… _

"Ve? Grazie, Japan!" Sometimes, I wonder how my mind worked before all of this began. Sure, I _knew_ when someone insulted me, but I never took it to heart. I was somehow convinced that they didn't mean it, or that it was meant in a joking manner. But now… now I can see that most of those insults were just as they appeared—insults.

_**And yet you still try so hard to save them. They've laughed at you; ridiculed you; hurt you; used you as a verbal and physical punching bag, and yet you've given everything up for them. Why?**_ Yang asks, genuinely curious.

_Because… They're my friends._ I answer. _I don't need any more of a reason than that._

_**That's IT?! Just because they're your **__**friends**__**?!**_ I ignore the rest of Yang's rant as Germany and Prussia start heading over to us. Germany looks like he has a migraine and Prussia looks like he just found the Holy Grail. Instead, he holds up a sword. The sword itself is magnificent. It's golden handle gleams in the sunlight, as the encrusted sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, and rubies glisten spectacularly.

"Kesesesesese! Take a look at mien awesome new sword! Kesesesese! It is _perfect_ for ze Awesome Prussia!" He says when he finally reaches us. He sets his new 'awesome' sword down on the wall behind the bench that Japan and I were sitting at so that we can 'marvel' at its 'awesomeness'.

"Ve? It's pretty! Look at how it glistens, Viva!" I say, studying the miner's cut jewels. Those are really rare. They don't do miner's cut jewels anymore because it was deemed 'inefficient' to cut jewels by hand, but it's a proven fact that miner's cut jewels are not only _worth_ more, but _sparkle_ more than today's jewelry. At a closer look, it becomes quite obvious that _all_ the jewels on Prussia's 'awesome' sword are miner's cut. It's almost a waste to think that such an amazing sword, probably worth 10 times more than what Prussia paid for it (the salesman had no idea what he had), is going to be abused. Truly, a sword such as this is collectable; it's not meant for _real_ battle.

"Kesesesese! Of course it sparkles! Zat sword cost me a fortune! It _should_ be Awesome!" Prussia says.

"These jewers are miner's cut!" Japan whispers in surprise, repeating my mental monologue. "They must be worth a fortune!" He marvels at the shiny, seemingly new, sword.

"I just vish zat he vould have spent his money on somezing more useful." Germany says with a defeated sigh.

"Ve? But why? Germany, look at how shiny and pretty it is! Why do you call it useless, Viva?" I ask, but I already know the answer. Without a word, Germany reaches past Japan, who's still admiring the jewels on the hilt, and grabs the sword. Prussia looks as if he wants to protest, but Germany shoots him a look and he stays quiet. "Zis, is vhy I called zis sword useless." Germany says as he unsheathes the sword with a grunt. Instead of the clean _shing_ that a normal sword makes when being unsheathed, a sound similar to nails on a chalkboard results. Some copper-colored flakes fall out as the should-be shiny silver blade is finally freed from its sheath.

"VE?! It's all _rusted_!" I yell, a devastated look taking over my features.

"How regrettabre…" Japan states with a sigh, looking just as devastated as me—though with much more subtleness. I have to agree with him, it _is_ quite regrettable. _Such a wonderful sword, but the blade is so rusted that you can barely see the silver._ _If Prussia tries to fight the Thing with _that_, he won't last more than 10 seconds…_ My thoughts trail off. Thank God that my memories are no longer affected by the time loops.

"Ve, Prussia!" I say, reaching into my backpack. "I have some rust cleaner and rust protector if you want to use it, Viva!" I pull out two bottles, one of rust cleaner, purchased specifically for Prussia's sword, and a bottle of rust protector, also purchased for Prussia's sword. "You can keep them, too." I say with a smile. The look on Germany and Prussia's faces are _PRICELESS_! It's all I can do to stop myself from laughing. I know I shouldn't be letting my guard down right now, but their faces would make even the _Thing_ burst out in laughter!

"I-Italy… Vhy do you have _rust cleaner_? And vone made for swords at zat?" Germany finally asks. Japan and Prussia mutely nod their heads.

"Not zat ze Awesome Prussia is complaining or anyzing, but… why _do_ you have zis?" _Well, here we go…_ _First thing that you didn't know about me…_

"Ve? Well, my _own_ sword gets a bit rusty now and then, so I have the habit of carrying around a little bit of rust cleaner." I say. Of course, I'm referring to my short sword; it's about 25 inches long—including the hilt—and about 2 pounds or so.

"Vait... _You_ have a _veapon_?!" Germany yells out in disbelief. Prussia looks too surprised to say anything, and Japan just senses the mood and refrains from saying anything that will permanently damage his reputation as the "level-headed" one.

"Ve?" I tilt my head to the side in a clueless, yet somewhat cute, manner. "Of course I do! I _am_ a country, after all! I would just rather not use it… Ve… I'd rather run than fight, Viva!" I say with a smile. _Of course, I'm actually quite skilled with my sword._

"Itary-kun, do you have your weapon with you _now_?" Japan asks curiously.

"Si! I have it right here, Viva!" I say, pulling out my sword from my backpack. The outer sheath is made of black leather, with a silver tipped point. The hilt of my short sword is also silver in coloration, with the traditional T shaped hilt. The bottom of the hilt has an intricate etching of an Italian Wolf, my national animal, howling. I unsheathe the beautifully deadly weapon with a clear, crisp _shing_!

My sword is sharp, clean, thin, and strong. It can easily cut the Thing's skin, and if I put the right amount of my aura into it, I can even lengthen its range!

The marveling of the others brings me back to reality. "Ve? What do you think?" I ask.

"May I?" Japan asks, and I hand him my sword with a nod. As the cool metal of the handle makes contact with Japan's skin, his eyes widen ever-so-slightly. "Itary-kun; this sword is _amazing_. This is perhaps one of the finest swords that I've ever seen. The barance is perfect, and the thinness of the brade does not interfere with the durabirity of the sword… If you don't mind me asking, who forged this?" Ah, there's that question again. Almost every loop, Japan will ask this, and I see no reason why I shouldn't tell him the truth.

"Ve? Well, I actually… made it myself…" I say timidly. Luckily there aren't many people around to hear the uncharacteristic outbursts of my three friends.

"V-VHAT?!"

"N-NANI?!"

"WHAT?!"

"VE?! What? Did I do something wrong?!" I ask.

"N-no, it's just…" Japan searches for the right word, "unexpected. I had no idea that you knew how to forge swords…" Japan trails off, staring in wonder at my masterpiece.

"Ve? Well, blacksmithing _is_ technically an art. Grandpa Rome taught me how to make them. I can also make bows, and guns, and other weapons, too, Viva~!" I say with a grin.

_**So, planning to tell them that you're in the Italian Mafia, too? Or that you're a Mob Boss for the Italian Mafia? That the mere mention of the title that you and your brother go by will send the strongest Mafia Families running for the hills?**_

_Ve? Why would I tell them _that_? They don't need to know, so I won't tell them. It's as simple as that, Yang._

_**Ugh. I'm not sure I'll **__**ever**__** understand how your mind works.**_

_I'm not sure I will either._ I comment, more to myself than Yang.

Japan quietly returns my sword to its sheath, and silently hands it back to me. I reach out and grab it, before securing it to my waist. Germany and Prussia give me weird looks.

"Italy, vhy are you vearing zat now?" Germany asks.

"Ve? Well, I guess… because we're going to a haunted mansion, right? So I should have _some_ protection, Viva!" I say with a grin. Japan lets out a sigh.

"Itary-kun, just because America-san says that it is haunted, doesn't necessariry mean that it is. It's probabry just a sirry rumor that some middre schoor kids made up to exprain to their friends why they ran away, that's arr." Japan says. _Oh, Japan, if you only knew. _

"Ve? But then why are you wearing your katana, Japan? And why did Prussia buy a sword? And why does Germany have his whip?" I ask, trying to use my old self's logic.

"Italy." Germany says with a sigh. "Ve are vearing our veapons because zat is vat ve vore to ze meeting. Mein bruder bought zis useless sword-"

"_Awesome_ sword." Prussia corrects. Germany glares at his brother, as if daring him to interrupt again.

"As I vas saying, mein bruder bought zis _useless_ sword because he sought it vas awesome. Zat is ze only reason vhy." Germany concludes.

"Ve? But then I'll be the only one _not_ wearing a weapon!" I complain, using my trusty puppy-dog eyes. It takes Germany 16 _entire_ seconds to cave in.

"Fine. But you must not hurt yourself, Ja?"

"Si! Grazie, Germany~!" I say, happily. I spot Prussia sitting in the grass under a nearby tree with the rust cleaner and his new sword. I watch as he attempts to remove the rust. I release another sigh, confusing Japan and Germany. I ignore their puzzled looks in favor of grabbing my backpack and going over to show Prussia how to _correctly_ clean rust from a sword. I listen to the footsteps of Japan and Germany as they follow me. Japan realizes what I'm doing first, and Germany notices a few seconds later.

"Ve! Prussia?! What're you doing?!" I yell, seemingly distraught. Prussia looks up at me, startled.

"What does it look like, Ita? Ze Awesome Prussia is cleaning ze awesome sword's blade!"

"VE?! But if you do it that way, you'll damage the sword!" I yell hysterically. "Didn't you read the directions on the back of the bottle?!"

"Uhhh… Ze Awesome Prussia doesn't need to read instructions!"

"Ve… That's why your sword is going to be damaged…" I mutter, but he doesn't hear me. I sigh again and sit next to him.

"Let me show you, okay? Ve~ _This_ is how you clean a sword, Viva!" I proceed to show Prussia how to _properly_ clean the rust from his sword… again.

My mind goes on autopilot, saying what needs to be said, when it needs to be said, and my body doing what it needs to do to properly show Prussia how to clean the sword. I don't even have to think about it anymore. It really _is_ quite tiring to go through all these loops, but at the same time, I enjoy the little moments that I spend with my friends before we enter the Mansion. I see now just how much I took for granted. I suppose it's true, what they say; you never realize what you have, until it's gone…

"Wow, danke, Ita!" Prussia's voice snaps me out of my thoughts… again. Prussia's sword is now clean of rust, and shiny. All in all, it looks good as new. _It won't for long, though…_ I think to myself as the images of Prussia's sword covered in the blood of that Thing flash in my mind before I push them away.

I smile at Prussia's fawning, and turn to go join Germany and Japan, who decided to go sit on a nearby bench while I cleaned Prussia's sword. As I reach them, Prussia's quick, excited footsteps are the only warning that I receive before he pulls me into an "awesome" hug, as he calls it.

"Ve~" I say, as I remember to quickly hug him back. After all, it would seem strange for Italy Veneziano to be hugged, but not hug back. And the _last _thing that I want right now is suspicion.

"So, are we leaving now?" Prussia asks, expertly securing his sword to his waist. _If he can secure a sword to his waist, use it, and __break__ it so expertly, then why the hell can't he __clean__ a sword!?_ I think to myself in exasperation. _Oh well, time to get this show on the road, right? Right. _

"Ja, ve should get going now. After all, ze mansion is, supposedly, sree hours avay…" Germany says.

"Hai. That is what America-san said." Japan states as he gets up and stretches his back.

"Well, then, what're we waiting for?! Andiamo!" I yell, running ahead of everyone.

"VAIT! ITALIEN!" Germany yells after me. "DON'T GO ON AHEAD! Komm zurück! {Come back here! German}"

"Kesesese! You won't catch him, bruder! He's Italian, remember?" Prussia laughs.

"Ja." Germany says with a tired sigh. He then looks to see how far away I am. Thinking that I can't hear him, Germany then says, "He may be a good friend, but sometimes he's such a Zumutung."

I wince slightly at the German word for "pain in the ass". And even more when the footsteps of Prussia and Japan reveal no signs of disagreement. I know that if I were to look back right now, I would see Prussia and Japan nodding their heads in silent agreement.

"Maledetti idioti... Non sanno che io sto dando tutto ciò che possiedo per salvarli? Haha, certo che no. Come hanno potuto? Neppure non abbiamo iniziato a rompersi orologi sei ancora... Non lo faro rinunciare. Non lo faro scappare via. Io non ti consente di morire. Non di nuovo. Questa volta, abbiamo volontà uscirai di là... Te lo prometto." {"Stupid idiots... Do they not know that I'm giving everything I have to save them? Haha, of course not. How could they? We haven't even started breaking clocks yet... I will _not_ give up. I will _not_ run away. I will _not_ let them die. Not again. This time, we _will_ get out of there... I promise." Italian} I mumble to myself in Italian. It's become a bit of a habit now. Whenever I say anything that might lead to unwanted questions, I'll say it in Italian.

In truth, even though I don't have that much free time in the mansion, I've gone through so many loops that I've not only read each and every book in the _entire_ mansion, but I've also learned to speak more than 10 foreign languages fluently. I'm still working on reading and writing in specific foreign languages, though. _It's kinda scary when I think about it…_ I muse to myself, _I've been stuck in this hell for so long that I've learned about 12 different languages… and that's not including English and Italian… or Spanish, for that matter… _I trail off, listening to the footsteps of my friends.

"Ve~ I suppose that I should wait for them…" I slow down my pace; we've been walking in the quiet forest for about half an hour now. The others say nothing as I finally join up with them. Everything is quiet—peaceful, even. The birds are merrily chirping, and the occasional squirrel or rabbit darts across the well-worn trail that we're using. I stay silent, enjoying the peaceful quiet while it lasts. As I look up, I see a bluebird on a tree branch. I smile; my national bird seems to sense the underlying sadness within me, and flies down to perch upon my shoulder. It's weird; while people and most objects are affected by my constant looping, every time I hike this three-hour trail to the mansion, there's always something new that the animals are doing; it's as if the animals are exempt from the time loops. It's so strange…

I subconsciously start to pet the bird on my shoulder; it leans into my gentle touch. It's nothing new for a country to be liked by animals—especially their national animals and birds. For example, whenever a bald eagle is around America, it will perch on his arm or shoulder and obey any commands that America gives it. Likewise, bluebirds listen to me and fratello because they're our national birds. It's really quite nice to have an animal companion sometimes. Gilbird, however, is not Prussia's national bird, so nobody really knows why it's taken such a strong liking to him.

I sigh again. I seem to do that a lot. The little bluebird chirps quietly in question. "Non è niente. Non ti preoccupare, piccina, sto solo sottolineato, questo è tutto. Voglio solo essere libero come te, con nessuna preoccupazione, dove mi non devono più preoccuparsi di chi Io bisogno di salvare prossimo, e dove ho non è più bisogno guardare continuamente sopra la mia spalla per della Cosa..." {It's nothing. Do not worry, little one, I'm just stressed, that's all. I just want to be free like you, with no worries; where I no longer have to worry about who I need to save next, and where I no longer need to constantly look over my shoulder for the Thing... Italian} I mumble to the little bird on my shoulder.

"Kesesesese!" Prussia drops back a few paces to match mine; it's only now that I notice that I'm lagging behind. "Hey, Ita! I see you have a new friend!" Prussia announces loudly, disturbing the peacefulness of the forest. I'm sure that if I weren't still petting the bluebird, that Prussia's voice would've scared it off. Gilbird glides down from his spot on Prussia's head, and lands on my shoulder next to the bluebird. They tweet to each other for a little while before Gilbird flies back to Prussia.

"So, why are you all ze way back here?" Prussia asks me. _Why __am__ I back here?_ I'm at least a few feet behind everyone else.

"Ve~" I say softly; Prussia has to lean in to hear me, "I was just thinking, that's all."

"Is… somesing bozering you?" Prussia asks, toning down his voice a bit; for which I'm grateful. I'm not sure if my sensitive ears can handle too many more of his "awesome me" moments.

"N-no. It's nothing… I guess I'm just enjoying the scenery while it lasts… After all, we _are _going to a _haunted mansion_, right? If something happens, I want to enjoy this while it lasts, Viva~" I say. Over time, I've learned that saying things like this at this point in the "game" will actually keep the others from becoming suspicious of me, rather than make them become suspicious, as I had originally thought.

"Ita… You _do_ know zat ze mansion isn't _really_ haunted, right?" _If you could hear yourself, Prussia; if the Prussias from the past time loops can hear you… Then they're probably rolling in their "awesome" graves…_ I think darkly at him.

"V-Ve? It's not?" I try my best to sound surprised.

"Listen, Ita. If it really _is_ haunted, zen ze Awesome Me will kill all of ze ghosts and demons zere, Ja?" I nod my head; _and how many times have you broken this same promise? How many times have you died?_

"Good, zen let's catch up wis ze osers. {Read as: "Good, then let's catch up with the others." Language of Awesome Kesesesese} I'm sure zat we're almost zere, anyhow." It's true; I recognize the area that we're in; we'll be there soon… _too soon..._

I pick up my pace to match Prussia's. Before long, we arrive at the front gates to my personal Hell. My heart starts to race; I can practically _hear_ the Thing's roar already. The little bluebird that has been my traveling companion flies off.

"Heh, smart little bird, aren't you? Sai che è pericoloso qui." {You know it's dangerous here." Italian} I mumble in Italian, "Go, little bird, listen to your instincts. _Never enter the mansion._" I whisper.

_Well, here goes…_ I think to myself as my heart pounds in my chest. The others are ahead of me, but they haven't noticed that I'm not with them yet. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. After a long moment, I snap my eyes wide-open, determination burning deeply within my golden orbs. _Let the game…begin!_ I step through the gateway, and once more, enter the Mansion...

**A/N: Do you guys think that I should re-post this story without the written accents? I wouldn't delete this one, but I know that there some people who don't like them, and that there are some cases where it's rather difficult to understand (I sound like England… XD) Leave your answer in a review!**

**ALSO! Just forewarning you! The next chapter will NOT take place inside the Mansion! They've only just entered the Mansion's Grounds! NOT The actual building! **

**Word Count for this Chapter: 4243**


	4. Chapter 3: Bonded

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry it's been so long! Real life has gotten in the way, an preparing for college is a pain! :T Anyhow, enjoy this next chapter, and celebrate because my writer's block is finally gone! :D YAY~! ^_~ Which means that I'll hopefully update more often~! ^_^ **

**Disclaimer: If I owned HetaOni, then I'd be making it into a movie or spinoff of the anime. If I owned Hetalia, I wouldn't be listening to the previews of Germany and England's Mawaru Chikyuu Rondo songs 80,000 times a day waiting for the full version. -_-;**

**Enjoy~! ^_~**

**Guide Thingy:**

Italy's thoughts and what's going on

"Talking"

_Italy's mental dialogue with Yang/Romano/Silver ALSO Italy thinking to himself/Yang_

_**Yang's mental dialogue**_

_~Silver's mental telepathy with Italy~_

"_~Wolf speech~"_

_*Italy's inner thoughts in a clock-induced flashback*_

{Translations for things said in a different language language translated from}

**~Flashback~** Start/end of a flashback

_**Chapter 3: Bonded**_

Italy POV:

As I run to catch up with my friends, I try my best to ignore the sickening feeling welling up inside of me. The Mansion's Grounds are quite large; it usually takes about half an hour of walking to go from the Gate to the Mansion. The area that we're currently walking in is densely wooded on either side of the dirt path, but when we get up further, the trees will start to thin, and the closer that we get to the Mansion, the more dead trees we'll see. I try my best to ignore the time-fragments that, for now, appear every 4–5 minutes or so.

"UUUUHHH! Zis is soooo _un-_awesome!" Prussia yells as I try, and fail, to look _anywhere but_ the bloodstained battlefield to my right. "Ze Awesome Me sought zat zis mansion was supposed to be sree hours away! But we've been walking for at _least_ four!" Prussia complains.

"Bruder, it's just your imagination; ve've only been valking for two und a half hours." Germany states after glancing at his watch. Our watches should stop working when we enter the Mansion; but even now, time is warped. To them, this walk from the Gate will feel like 2 hours, where our watches will only show it as half an hour. For me, because my body's internal clock has adjusted to the Mansion's warped time, it'll only feel like half an hour.

"Rearry?" Japan asks with slight surprise, "It feers as if we passed through that gate an hour or so ago…" Japan looks down and checks his own watch. After seeing that it shows the same time as Germany's watch, Japan holds his watch up to his ear to see if it's working. "Hmm… maybe I'm just getting ord…" He mumbles to himself.

I remain uncharacteristically silent, listening to the sounds of the few animals brave enough to live on these accursed grounds. I hang back a little, walking a few paces behind everyone else, in an attempt to catch a glimpse of _her_.

A flash of silver draws my eyes to meet a beautiful pair of sapphire orbs. _There she is._ I send a small smile her way. She seems to smile back at me with her eyes, as she keeps pace with me from the shadows. I call her Silver. She's a very special animal who was brave enough to travel onto the Mansion's Grounds in an attempt to find something. She's also aware of the changing of time, and she always accompanies me on the walk from the Gates to the Mansion.

She has stunning white fur that takes on a breathtaking silver shimmer in the moonlight—hence her name—and a pair of deep, hauntingly beautiful sapphire blue eyes. She's fast, agile, smart, and loyal. There have been countless loops where she has jumped into the middle of a battle to help me. There have also, unfortunately, been many loops where she has given her life to save mine. She is a loyal, _trusted_ friend. I still remember the first time that I met her…

**~Flashback~**

I've made a mistake; again. "Why?! _Why_ do they keep _dying?! _What the _hell_ have I ever done to _deserve this?!_ What _God_ have I angered?! What being have I wronged so_ damn fucking_ _badly_ that would _warrant_ this _kind _of _torture?! _This _unbearable_ _agony?! WHY ME?!"_ I cry out to the heavens. My friends are dead again. We had all gotten out once more, and I had even gotten everyone to run for the Gate so that the Things wouldn't catch us… and yet… While we were running, Liechtenstein hadn't seen that pothole in the grass… She had broken her ankle, and she couldn't… The Things were right behind us… Switzerland had taken a fatal blow for her. After that, the rest of my friends fell like dominos. All I could do was watch helplessly as they were cut down, one by one. Then, to top the cake, those _wretched_ _Things_ have left me to wallow in my agony; they _know_ that I'll turn back time _again_.

A rustling in the bushes nearby snaps me out of my depressing thoughts. I stare into familiar sapphire orbs. "_You_ again?! What do you want?!" I lash out in anger. I don't know who, or _what_ this animal is, but it's been watching me for… probably about 50 loops or so. At first I would just catch a flash of silvery white out of the corner of my eye, or get the feeling of being watched. The first time that I looked into those sapphire orbs, I just _knew_ that whatever this animal was, it meant me no harm. I could only see open curiosity in those eyes. As time passed, that curiosity grew and eventually changed into a sort of fondness. There would be concern, pity, empathy, sympathy, and support in those eyes when I needed it most. Even still, I've never seen the creature itself. I _have_, however seen a fluffy white tail a few times.

I continue to stare into those calm, understanding sapphire eyes. I can't explain how or why, but as I stare into them I feel my anger starting to dissipate. The creature—who I had started to call Silver quite some time ago due to the silver tinge that the fur takes on in the right lighting—turns its gaze away from me. Is… Silver leaving? Is Silver going to leave me to turn back time again? My thoughts are interrupted, however, as Silver's fluffy white tail comes into view. It beckons me forward. Without a second thought, I follow. The curiosity was too strong to resist. _**Ying! Wasn't it your stupid curiosity that got us trapped in this Hell in the first place?! Because you were curious about the supposedly haunted Mansion? **_

_Shut up, Yang!_ I snap at him in my mind, my inner voice taking on a dangerous tone. I'm not in the mood to argue with him right now. Surprisingly enough, Yang grumbles a bit before shutting up completely.

I save the analysis of Yang's strange behavior for later, and decide to follow the flashes of silver and white fur. The trees start to thicken as Silver leads me further and further into the forest. Oddly enough, I don't feel uncomfortable at all. This is the first time since Loop 1 that I've been able to walk around on the Mansion's Grounds, and not feel the need to constantly look over my shoulder.

Before I can go any further in my thoughts, I see a clearing up ahead. It isn't big, but it's beautiful and peaceful. _Heh, I suppose that there really is yin in every yang._ I think to myself. The clearing isn't large enough to feel exposed, but it isn't small enough to feel confined. To my right, there's a quiet stream with clear, cool water trickling soothingly through the glade. The trees seem to have birds living comfortably there, and there was a fallen tree near the stream along with some smooth flat rocks that looked to be perfect for sitting or sunbathing.

My legs seem to move on their own, walking towards the sunning rocks. I sit down, and silently remove my boots and socks. As I slip my feet into the cool, revitalizing water, I let out a quiet sigh. For a moment, a single blissful moment, I forget everything; the Mansion, my friends, the loops, the Things, my country, Yang, and the only thing that exists, is this peaceful Glade.

A quiet whimper snaps me violently out of my daydream. Weapon instantly in hand, I attempt to locate the source of the sound, mentally berating myself for letting my guard down. Just as I start to turn back around to the stream—my feet still in the cool water and my blade still drawn—I hear that sound again; it came from my left. In less than half a second, I'm on my feet. My hand subconsciously tightens around the hilt of my sword. Then, I see a familiar white tail. I visibly relax, sheathing my blade, but still ready to draw it in an instant if needed.

"Ve~ It's just you. I'm sorry, Silver. For snapping at you earlier." I say as I sit down and slip my feet back into the stream. I can't explain why, but I feel so comfortable around Silver. "I really should thank you; for showing me this place, I mean. I never would've imagined that a place like this could ever exist on the Mansion's grounds." I say to my silent companion. For the first time in a very long time, I smile a _real_ smile. It's small, but it's true. I bend down and wash the blood off of my hands and face as I release the magic that hides my scars, letting my guard down more than I ever have on the Mansion's Grounds.

_Ve~ I know that I shouldn't let my guard down here, but… This place—this Glade—has such a peaceful aura around it… there's no evidence of those Things ever setting foot here. In fact, the aura of protection around this place is similar to that of the Safe Room that Germany built…_ I wince slightly at the thought of my dead friends, feeling slightly guilty for relaxing and even slightly enjoying myself when they're all dead because of me.

I hear another whimper, though this time it sounds more like an annoyed complaint than a whimper, from Silver most likely. I turn my head, and gasp. There, standing before me in stunning glory, is a pure white wolf. _An arctic wolf?!_ _What is it doing here in Japan?! In the middle of SUMMER?!_ But as I look closer, I realize that this is no arctic wolf. My eyes widen slightly as I finally realize why I feel such a connection with this wolf.

"You're an Italian Wolf, my national animal, aren't you?" It's more of a statement than a question, but to my amazement, Silver nods her head. Judging by her size, it's obvious that Silver is a female. "V-Ve? What are you doing in Japan? As far as I know, Italian wolves are only in Italy, and parts of Switzerland and France. And there's never been a _white_ Italian Wolf before…" I trail off, wincing slightly when I accidentally name my currently deceased friends out loud. Silver stands up and slowly approaches me. I gaze into her eyes, and while I see plenty of caution, I see firm trust, as well.

Before I know what's going on, Silver is standing inches away from me. I hold out my hand, waiting for her to make the first move. Our eyes never lose contact. After a moment of hesitation, she tentatively steps forward and rubs her snowy white head against my calloused hand.

The moment I touch her soft fur, I feel a sudden jolt run through my entire body. Judging by Silver's sudden jump and yip, I'd say that she felt it too. We stare at each other in confusion and slight fear for a moment.

"What was _that_?" I ask. Unfortunately, there is no miraculous heavenly light or breaking-of-the-fourth-wall to answer my question. Silver comes closer to me, more confident this time. I reach out my hand again; she hesitates for a breathless moment before she rubs her head against it once more. There's no jolt this time. Her fur is soft and clean. I idly wonder how her fur stays so spotlessly white, as I start to scratch behind her ears.

A feeling starts to well up inside of me. _What is this? I suddenly feel protective of Silver. Why? Does it have anything to do with the jolt?_ My mind wonders back to why she's even here in the first place. Italian wolves can only be found in Italy, France, and Switzerland right now. Even if some small pack _had_ migrated to another country, there is simply no way that a wolf could cross the ocean to an _island _country by accident; or purpose, for that matter…

I let out a small gasp. I _know_. Without a doubt, I _know_ how Silver came to Japan. _It's as if I have… _My eyes widen as I realize just what that jolt was. I look at Silver. "I know what happened." I state.

Seriousness hardens her eyes, as she too, seems to realize what happened. "We've shared memories." I say. It was a rare occurrence, rare, but possible. Countries can sometimes _bond_ with an animal. This usually happens with one of their national animals or birds. It's exceedingly rare, though, and nobody—not even China—knows what causes it. It happens on accident and cannot be undone. When the bond is made, all memories are shared—past and present. The animal is able to understand all forms of speech and communication that their bonded country can, and vise versa—_understand_, not _speak_. In other words, I can now understand the language of the wolves, but I cannot speak their tongue. Likewise, Silver can understand all the different languages that I know, but she cannot speak them. We can communicate to each other. A bonded is to act as the spiritual guide for the other. Silver will live for as long as I do. If she dies, I'll feel the agony of her wounds. But the cool thing is that she becomes immortal like me. However, that's only _outside_ the Mansion. Once I set foot on the Mansion's grounds, I become mortal. Once Silver enters the Mansion's grounds, _she_ becomes mortal as well. If _I_ die, however, then she will die with me; our souls are now linked.

_**Ying! How the hell do you know this shit?! It's not like you've fucking done this before! **_Ugh, I wish that he would leave me _alone_. I sigh mentally.

_I know this, because I'm not the first country to go __through__ this. _

_**Huh? Who the hell are you talking about? **_I felt Yang trying to access my mind's internal thoughts—the thoughts that I can keep private from even Yang.

_Haven't you ever wondered how Canada could tame a polar bear? How he could tame one of the only animals on earth that, even when raised in captivity from birth, will kill its caretaker? Haven't you ever wondered why Kumajiro hasn't aged even though he's been with Canada for centuries?_

_**Wait. Are you trying to tell me that **_**Canada**_**, the **__**invisible**__** country, is bonded to a fucking polar bear?!**_

_Yup. And he's not the only one. Haven't you ever wondered why Gilbird hasn't aged? Why he's still a chick? How he can understand Prussia's complex commands regardless of whether he gives them in English or German? _

_**Wait, you mean 'Mr. Awesome Ore-sama'?! That **__**bird**__** is his bonded?! Hah! It's only good for carrying messages! Heheheheheheheh! **_He laughs that annoying laugh. I _swear_ that laugh is more annoying than France's, Prussia's, Spain's, and America's _combined_! Or maybe it's just because he's Yang.

I tune him out, and turn back to Silver. I have all her memories from the night she was born to the moment that she last looked into my eyes. I'm not sure how, but supposedly I also have the ability to see things through her eyes, and hear, smell, taste, and feel what she does as well, while still controlling my own body like normal. I have no idea how to use that skill, or any of them really.

I wait until Silver finishes looking through my memories for the explanation of what had happened. After a few minutes, she turns her head and stares into my eyes. Once again, I feel her memories from the past few minutes flow into me, and I feel my own memories from the past few minutes flow into her.

"_~Interesting…~" _I jump at the unfamiliar voice. It's feminine, definitely. The voice holds a melodic beauty that's somehow familiar. I look around before I realize that what I just heard wasn't English. Nor was it German, Italian, Japanese, or any other language that I know. _And yet I understood it perfectly… _My eyes widen as I turn to Silver. I swear if a wolf could smirk, then that's exactly what Silver is doing right now.

"_~Hehehe~, you should see your face right now, Italy! It's hilarious! Especially when you consider the fact that you already figured out that you can understand wolf now…~"_ Silver is definitely the one that's talking to me. I can't help but smile at her laughter. It matches her voice perfectly; melodic and beautiful—her laughter reminds me of silver bells. The weird thing is that I still hear the yips and barks and _wolf_ noises, but it's almost as if my mind is creating verbal subtitles in her voice in, well, Italian.

"Ve~ So I really _can_ understand you! Fantistico~! Can you understand me?"

"_~Yes, I can. That was… English, correct?~"_ Silver asks after taking a moment to identify the new language.

"Yup! I wonder if you can really understand all the languages that I know?"

"_~Well, I should be able to. You can understand wolf, after all.~"_

"Ve~ Do you have a name? Or should I just continue to call you Silver?" I ask. I _could_ look through her memories, but it feels _wrong_. I don't feel comfortable looking into her memories without her permission.

"_~As you may already know from my memories, I was taken from my birthplace, the country of Italy, not long after I was old enough to learn how to hunt with the pack. Human poachers thought that the color of my coat was unique. They believed that it would be a shame to kill me when they could send me to their friend overseas to breed me and create more Italian wolves with white coats, so they shipped me off to China. However, the ship was caught in a storm, and by pure luck, my wooden crate was smashed open. It just so happened that I wasn't too far from the coast of… Japan, right? That's where we are?~"_ She asks, unsure. I nod my head, and gesture for her to continue._ "~I just swam to the nearest shore. After I recovered enough strength, I started to look for others of my kind, but they were nowhere to be found. There were plenty of deer and boars, though. This place seems overrun with them. I even tried howling to contact any nearby packs but all I got was silence and some excited humans who started heading my way. Do you know why I couldn't find them?~" _

"Ve~ Apparently Japan doesn't _have_ any wolves…" I say, Silver's jaw drops.

"_~No… wolves? On this entire island country, there isn't a single wolf? How is that possible?~" _

"Ve~ The last official sighting of a Japanese wolf was in 1905. You see, when Japan started to open up to western culture, our concepts sort of shoved his out the window. Japan and his people used to worship wolves as gods; even today you can see the shrines. Back then, Japan's people didn't raise livestock like the western nations did—so they didn't have the same conflicts that we had with wolves and big cats eating our livestock. In fact, in Japan, the wolves would eat the deer and wild boar and actually would end up _protecting_ the crops. This is why wolves were revered as gods. However, the western nations viewed wolves as evil creatures. I must admit that there was a time when even I believed wolves to be messengers of death, but I've never killed one." Silver relaxes slightly at this piece of info. "So anyways, Japan's people, unfortunately, were quickly convinced that wolves were evil, and they hunted them down. As I said earlier, the last official sighting of a Japanese wolf was in 1905; he was shot and killed. There's been talk of re-introducing wolves into Japan, because, as you've already seen, the deer and boars are overrunning the place. Ve~ I bet that those people you heard were looking to see if there were any Japanese wolves left in hiding! They probably thought that you were a Japanese wolf howling." I say with a small laugh. It felt good to smile again. Talking about this almost makes me forget about those _Things_.

"_~I see… Italy, did you also…~" _

"VE?! Of course I didn't! Even though I was scared of wolves, I didn't want them to die! Especially not be hunted to the point of extinction! I had been busy dealing with some things in my own country. I couldn't even come after that because in December of 1908 about 70,000–100,000 of my people were killed in the Messina earthquake in Sicily. It was _terrible!_ We had to ship some of the survivors to America. I was hit with another earthquake in January of 1915 it killed about 29,800 people in the Avezzano area. I was so busy that I didn't even _know_ about the Japanese wolves until 20 years after the last sighting!"

"_~I'm sorry for jumping to conclusions… I suppose that I should've had more faith in you. After all, were are bonded now.~" _Silver says while looking down.

"Ve~ Don't feel bad, It's not your fault. Besides, even though nobody knows exactly _how_ a bond is made, I _do_ know that both sides have to be willing to protect the other with their lives, Viva!"

"_~Thank you, Italy.~" _

"Ve~ Please, continue your story. I want to know why such an intelligent young wolf would even _consider_ coming within a mile of those front Gates…"

"_~Alright, so where was I? Ah, yes. I traveled around, preying on the deer and the boar, and trying my best to avoid the towns and cities. I generally stayed close to the forests. They reminded me of home, in a way. When I came to a new forest, I had an uneasy feeling. My instincts told me to be cautious. They warned of nearby danger.~" _Silver's eyes narrow slightly at the memory, and her tail swishes quietly behind her.

"_~After a few days of staying in the forest, I learned that the danger lay only within the confines of the land past the Iron Gateway. I'll be honest, when I first got whiff of that Thing, my fur was bristling like never before, and I was terrified. And yet something told me to stay in the forest. So I stuck to the far side of the woods, close to a town. I had noticed that people tended to avoid this forest, or at least the deeper areas of it. I smelt you before I saw you. I could smell four peculiar creatures. They smelt neither of prey nor beast nor man. And I felt a familiar presence tickle the edge of my mind. It was you. _

_At the time, I didn't know what you and your friends were, or why you entered the forest. I could understand a few words here and there, but your Italian made the most sense. Even still, I could not fathom why you traveled in the direction of the Gates. I could tell from your scent that you were terrified of that place; that you knew what was there. I couldn't explain why, but I ignored my instincts screaming at me to run as far away from that place as possible, and followed you in. I tracked you and your friends as you walked to the Mansion. Just before you stepped through the door, I saw you look longingly, brokenly, out at your last chance of freedom. I was mentally yelling at you to call your friends and leave, but you didn't. _

_I stood by the front door, waiting. When an entire night passed, I knew something was wrong. I couldn't explain why, but even then I felt the need to protect you. When a second, much larger group arrived, I could immediately tell by their scent that they were like you and your friends. I came to the conclusion that you knew them. However, just as they closed the door, I silently bolted into the Mansion Where None Shall Enter. I followed you around that loop. _

_I was, as you could imagine, confused when you turned back time. I didn't know what was going on. I was in the Mansion watching you one moment, and then I found myself outside a strange building in a city the next. Luckily, I was in the bushes, so nobody could see me. I was shocked when you came out with America, Canada, England, and Germany. I had seen them all die, after all. Yet there they were. It wasn't until I saw your eyes that I understood; you remembered. Everything. _

_I concluded that you could travel back in time and that you were doing so until you could get everyone out of the Mansion and off its grounds alive. I have to admit; I thought you were a fool. I thought that you were a stupid fool who had no hope of winning. Yet, you proved me wrong when I saw you pull out your weapon for the first time. _

_Sometimes I'd be able to sneak into the Mansion, but others I couldn't find a way in, so I'd wait outside and assist you there if need be. The more I saw you turn back time, the more I saw you break and shatter. Each time you watched them die, I watched a part of you die with them. _

_I'm not sure how much more your body and mind can take. I'm your bonded now, so whatever pain you feel, I feel. It's just muted, that's all. Eventually I found myself admiring your courage at facing that Thing over and over, and your inner strength for putting up with all of this for so long… and trying to keep it from your friends, then telling them whenever you can, I found myself thinking of you as pack—a brother. Now, we _are_ pack. And a wolf will fight to the death to protect those that she holds dear. Just like your mafia—you don't mess with my pack and get away with it. Italy, I will always be here for you.~"_

"Grazie~" I say with a smile, as I let what she just said sink in. For the first time in a long time, I cry tears that hold no negative emotions, just relief. _I'm not alone anymore._ Silver just sits there quietly, before nuzzling my tears away. "Your fur tickles." I giggle slightly.

"_~Sorry.~"_ She pulls away.

"Ve~" I say as I hear a roar off in the distance. The Thing is wondering why I haven't turned back time yet. My smile fades away and my usual feelings of anguish and depression hit me like a ton of bricks.

"_~Italy? What's wrong? Are you okay?~" _Silver asks, concern lacing her voice.

"Ve~ I'm not sure if I'll ever be okay again. All these loops…" I see a flash of understanding in her eyes.

"_~I see… You need to rewind time again, don't you?~" _Silver asks gently.

"Si." I say simply as I start to walk out of the paradise of the glade. I immediately hear Silver's pawsteps trailing after me. "Are you coming too?" I ask. I have to admit that I wasn't expecting her to come along.

"_~Of course. We're bonded now, I have to protect you, and be there for you. Whether you like it or not.~" _Silver says with a dry chuckle at the end as she catches up and keeps pace beside me.

"Ve~ Grazie."

**~End Flashback~**

"Itary-kun?" Japan's voice snaps me out of my reminiscence. _Crap! I usually don't space out like that… What's wrong with me today? If I keep this up, then my friends will die again! And I __can't__ let that happen. Not again… _

_**Ahh, but you say that every loop. Yet here we are again. Maybe if you leave these morons and escape on your own… But you'd **_**never**_** do that, now would you? Heh, wimp. **_

_Shut up, Yang._ I warn him while giving a smile to Japan.

"Ve~ I'm sorry, what was that? I wasn't paying attention."

"No, it's aright." Japan says with a sigh. "You just seem to be… rost in thought. Armost sort of nostargic; are you okay?"

"Ve~" _Shit! How could I have let my mask slip?! Damn it! I haven't slipped this early in the loop for a while. Merda! {Shit! Italian}_ "What do you mean, Japan?" I say with a grin. Japan gives me a hard stare, as if daring me to continue to play dumb. I heave a sigh, looks like it's time for another lie. _I __hate__ lying. I __despise__ liars… _"Ve… Okay, you caught me… I'm sorry for lying to you, Japan." I say with my infamous puppy-dog eyes. Japan gives a near-silent sigh of satisfaction. _Really, I am sorry for lying to you…_

"Ve~ Please don't be mad at me, I was just thinking that it's been awhile since I had pasta… I miss it… I can practically _taste_ the tomato sauce with garlic and—"

"ITALIEN! _Please_ stop describing your food, Ja? I'm hungry, too but you don't see me complaining." Germany says, cutting me off in my verbal daydream of pasta. Japan gives Germany a grateful look.

"Yea, Ita, you're even making ze Awesome Me hungry…" Prussia interjects with a chirp of agreement from Gilbird. _Figures; we're walking to a Mansion where we have died countless times, and all he can think about is his stomach…_

_~He doesn't remember the deaths, Feli.~ _Silver chimes in. We learned how to perform mental telepathy relatively quickly, and can talk to each other over any distance. She also started calling me Feli after we had all received human names.

_I know, Silver, I know… It's just… So frustrating…_

_~We'll get through this. I promise.~ _

"Ve~ I'm sorry, Prussia, I'll try not to think about pasta until we get home, okay? Ve~"

All too soon, the trees around us start to thin. I feel Silver drop back a little bit so as not to be seen by my friends. As the Mansion finally comes into view I let loose a barrage of curses in my mind. As angry and depressed my mind is right now, my body is skipping and my face alight with a smile as I say, with a happy and upbeat voice, "Ve~ It's really here!"

"I thought it was just a rumor… I never thought we wourd _actuarry_ find it…" Japan says as he walks a few steps ahead of me to get a better look at the place.

"It has such a desolate feel… Not bad…" Prussia says with a nod of his head as he, too, walks a few steps ahead of where I stand.

"I don't zink it's very interesting zough. Can't ve just look at it from ze outside and zen go back?" Germany asks, barely suppressing a shudder that runs through his body. _Your body remembers this place. It remembers the horrors that we've faced here… If only we could listen to your instincts…_

"Hai, I agree."

"Ve? After all the trouble we went through to find it?! Come on; let's go in for a little while! I'm hungry, and they might have some pasta!" I say with a grin.

"Italy, zis is an _abandoned _mansion; I highly doubt zat zey vill have pasta here." Germany says with a sigh.

"Awww, but Doi- Germany~! I'm tired, and I don't wanna walk all the way back without a rest!" I complain. _Damn! I almost slipped up. _I think to myself. _Unless I'm ready to tell them everything, then I can't let them know that I can speak other languages; including Japanese. I almost called him Doitsu… [Doitsu… Tasukete yo! Doitsu~! Matte! Matte! Matte yo! Doitsu!...]_

I shake my head to free myself from the old memory. _From a better time, ne?_

"Itary-kun?" Japan says snapping me from my thoughts. _Crap, did I miss my cue? _I glance around. _No, thank God. I didn't. _

"Ve~ Please, Germany?" I give him my puppy dog eyes. If I don't get them in this Mansion now, then they'll come later and alone… I smile as Germany gives a sigh of defeat.

"Fine. But only for a little vile, Ja?"

"Si~! Grazie!" I say, tossing my hand in the air. Japan sighs and walks ahead to the front door. Prussia and Germany follow Japan through the front entrance. I, too, follow to the front door, but before I walk through, I take one last despairing glance at the front yard. I try my best to ignore the bloody time fragments and look at the blue sky; green trees; the birds flying here and there, and in the tree line, I see Silver, who gives me a look of encouragement.

_~Do not worry, Feli. We'll get them out this time…~_

_Yes. We will. _I think to her with a smile. Then, walking past a time fragment of a dead Austria and Hungary by the front door, I enter the Mansion.

_**Word Count for this Chapter: 5,542**_


End file.
